Dickov Looking for Home Comforts

Rovers return to the Keepmoat Stadium this weekend against unbeaten Port Vale.

Paul Dickov has said that he isn’t expecting any favours from his former manager Micky Adams when the pair meet as respective managers of Doncaster and Port Vale, on Saturday.

Rovers have got off to a terrific start, sitting top of League 1 and in the next round of the League Cup while Vale are also unbeaten after a steady 1-1 draw in a local derby against Walsall and a thumping 6-2 Cup win over Hartlepool at Vale Park.

“I had a love / hate relationship with him. He knew if he gave me a rollicking I’d react and not always in the right way but he was great for me,” said Dickov of his former Leicester City boss.

“Micky and I get on great. He was fantastic for me as a player and probably of all the managers that I played under; he got the best out of me. They (Vale) are well organised, which is what you’d expect from a Micky Adams side.”

This is the first home game of the new campaign for Dickov and his troops, some of whom may sport the scars of battle from two testing games on the road.

“We think Jamie McCombe’s broken his nose,” said Dickov.

“It was quite a welcome back for him but he’s played over 400 games and we knew that he'd be a little bit rusty with his timing but we desperately wanted to get some minutes in him and we're a little bit short at centre half.”

With games approaching thick and fast, the manager is aware of the demands of the league and the squad at his disposal.

“We want competition for places. We’ve shown we can mix it up if we want to. We keep talking about managing the group and that’s what we're prepared to do,” said Dickov.

“I know in my head the side I’m going to pick, it might be tough on who I’m going to leave out. We can take the opportunity to rest ahead of Tuesday.

“Its important not to get carried away, its early doors, we've just had the first week of the season and it lets everyone know that I will give them a chance and can shake it up.”